Maharashtra Power Tussle: Sharad Pawar Meets Sonia Gandhi To Discuss Government Formation

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has reached at 10 Janpath to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss government formation in Maharashtra. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik had made the announcement regarding the meeting on Sunday evening after a meeting of the party's core committee at Pawar's residence.

Malik said that the core committee was of the view that the current President's rule in Maharashtra should end, and an "alternative government" should be formed.

The NCP is in talks with its ally Congress for a possible alliance with the Shiv Sena, after the Sena's alliance with the BJP fell apart over the chief minister's post.

Ahead of his meeting with Gandhi, Pawar said all political parties seeking to stake claim in forming the government in Maharashtra have to "choose their own paths".

"BJP-Shiv Sena fought together, we (NCP) and Congress fought together. They have to choose their path and we will do our politics," Pawar told reporters ahead of the start of the Winter Session of Parliament.

Maharashtra was placed under President's rule on November 12 after no party or alliance staked claim to form government.

Pawar's meeting with the Congress chief comes a day after the NCP's core committee held a meeting in Pune and resolved that the current President's rule in Maharashtra should end and an "alternative government" should be formed.

The BJP-Sena saffron alliance had secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member Assembly. The Congress and NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats respectively.